Household Pests: Warning Signs You Have to Take Action

If you’re careful, it can be easy to keep your home pest-free. Luckily, you can control pests in your home by limiting their necessities — water, shelter and food.

It is especially true of common household pests, which are notoriously fast movers. Spotting warning signs can help you take action before a problem develops.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches can enter homes and buildings in a variety of ways. They may enter through cracks, gaps, and holes in walls and foundations, air vents and open windows, or sewer drains in basements and other buildings.

Once inside, they look for areas where they can find food, water and shelter. They thrive in areas that mimic their outdoor environment, mainly warm, moist, and dark places.

It can be challenging to eradicate cockroaches once they’ve established themselves. But, with regular cleaning and sanitation efforts, you can reduce them in numbers and make them less likely to invade your home.

A good pest control strategy is to take a zone approach, systematically inspecting and treating every corner of your home or business. That way, you won’t miss any spots harboring the pests.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are tiny, flattened insects that live inside people’s mattresses and box springs. They feed on blood at night and then hide in places a vacuum can’t reach.

Detecting a problem makes it easier to control. Keeping beds and other furnishings tidy will also reduce the number of hiding spots.

Infestations of adult bed bugs can last from several weeks to a year and a half under ideal conditions. Larvae can survive without a blood meal for days or months, and adults and older nymphs can live even longer.

Pests are most likely to invade a home that is untidy or has high levels of clutter. You should carefully check second-hand furniture and bedding before being brought into the house.

Seal any small hiding spots with silicon caulk. It eliminates their hiding place and gets them out into the open, where you can kill them. Vacuum all surfaces and furniture thoroughly to remove any remaining bugs or eggs. An annual pest inspection is crucial because they alert the homeowner to potential risk areas. Cockroaches and other pests can seriously harm a home without the owner being aware if potential problems are not identified in the early stages.

Mice and Rats

Mice and rats are among the most common household pests. These rodents can cause significant damage to your property and can also be a health hazard.

They can spread various diseases, including salmonellosis, ratbite fever, and typhus. They can also infest livestock and poultry feed, contaminating the food with the disease.

Both mice and rats are notorious for chewing through structural support in buildings, which can result in costly repairs. They also damage live wiring and electrical systems.

Aside from causing severe damage, these pests can be dangerous and are highly infectious, so it’s essential to handle infestations with pest control as quickly as possible.

They’re also messy eaters, spitting up pellets and feces. They can also contaminate pet foods and animal feed, which can be expensive to replace.

Ants

Ants can be a nuisance inside and outside the home, and it is essential to be proactive in identifying and eliminating ant infestations. They are often found near water and food sources, such as puddles or dew drops.

Clean up crumbs, spills and other debris to eliminate ant food sources. Also, never leave uncovered food on countertops or floors.

Sprinkle black or red (cayenne) pepper around the areas of your home where ants are known to enter, and it can help get rid of them. You can also mix water and pepper and spray it around your home to deter ants from entering.

There are many ways to deal with ants, but prevention is always best. If you can find an ant colony before it becomes too overwhelming, you can eliminate the problem alone. It is an excellent way to save money and time in the long run.